Confession, prayer, healing – 2 May 2008

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
James 5: 15-16 [NIV]

Do you want your prayers to be powerful and effective? Do you want to see sick people healed? Do you want your sins to be forgiven?

Faith and righteousness will improve the power and effectiveness of your prayer. How can we increase faith and righteousness? Perhaps we can begin to answer these tricky questions by walking closer with God. Our righteousness depends on our relationship with God. Is there an unconfessed sin blocking your communication with God? Are we dealing with the issues that the Holy Spirit is bringing to our attention?

It is easy for me to ask these questions – much harder to answer them. God knows the innermost secrets of our hearts. He knows when we do something wrong, say something wrong, think something wrong. Nothing we do is hidden from “the audience of one” that is our Lord. What amazes me is how someone who knows me that well can still love me.

If I think of my own children, sometimes I don’t want to know everything they have done wrong – the little I do know leads me to suspect that knowing everything would give me many more sleepless nights. Yet I know that God is a perfect parent and he is the master of unconditional love. He knows out past, our present and our future. He knows what it is like to be human.

Thank you Lord for your unconditional love for us - your unworthy children. Help us to know your love for us more each day. Amen